London Calling: 2019
'''London Calling: 2019 '''is the third game in the Phase II of the Crisis series, branching off of the events following the end of Infinity Crisis. Long-neglected on the world stage, the United Kingdom undergoes a rise, fall, and rebirth under the neon lights of cyberpunk and synthwave. Campaign Setting The United Kingdom has had a very rough go during the events of the Crisis series: it was destroyed by the slave army during the First Crisis of Crisis on Infinite Call of Duties, its people temporarily assimilated during Springtime for Hitler, destroyed by God's armies during Lonesome Road, and destroyed by the Syndicalists during the Infinity Crisis. The sheer destruction the United Kingdom has endured has resulted in its falling off as the face of Europe in world affairs, replaced by Germany. In fact, the end of the Infinity Crisis left the United Kingdom's monarchy executed, it's government annihilated, infrastructure erased. With their own countries and the rest of the world in bad shape as well, the Solar Council left the rebuilding of the United Kingdom to a conglomeration of corporations. You can see where this is going. These corporations have merged into the vast megacorporation known as the United Kingdom Reconstruction Authority (UKRA), who will be supposedly handing power over to a civilian government as some unspecified point in the future. At the moment, they rule the former United Kingdom with an iron fist, utilizing vast military and police forces. They have, at least, rebuilt the country. The capital, now known as Neo-New London, is a vast, sprawling metropolis home to millions of people, some of whom live in excessive wealth, some of whom live in abject poverty. Crony capitalism and corruption runs rampant, stemming from the office of Chief Executive Officer Alistair Rhodes III. Smashing any dissent with his boot is General Roger Baseplate, while leading their scientific research is former American electrical engineer Carlos Avogradro. Deep in the underbelly of Neo-New London is bands of biker gangs, revolutionaries, cults, profit-seekers, drug dealers, trenchcoat-clad ruffians. One of them is John "Reboot" Price, the son of the original Captain Price. Residing in the seedy slums, dreaming of the bright lights, Reboot is abruptly recalled from his sleep by his best friend and the son of Soap, John "Suds" MacTavish, who tells him to wake the fuck up, because they got a city to burn. Plot Act 1 Suds bring Reboot out to meet the rest of the biker gang, the Spurs, who are ready to throw down with their cross-town rivals, the Gunners, at a Rumble at old Wembley Stadium. The youths cruise down rotting highways, massive skyscrapers of downtown Neo-New London on the horizon, misery and decay directly before them. They pass by seedy bars, burning homes, homeless with nowhere to go. A large crowd of protesters are dispersed by UKRA Metropolitan Police, who begin firing rounds into the crowds. Reboot lights a cigar as the gang enters a tunnel; they emerge on the other side on top of a huge overpass, giving them a great look at the dystopia below them. They arrive at Wembley Stadium, with the Rumble set to begin soon. They arrive at their agreed-upon starting spot, one side of grass that used to be a futbol field. Suds comments that something is wrong; Reboot commends him for his big brain, and state it's probably a trap. They ready their weapons, mere clubs, pipes, and knives, as agreed upon by the rules of the Rumble. Suddenly, helicopters and VTOLs belonging to the UKRA Security Forces fly overhead. The youths hide, worried that the UKRA is after them, but the fleet continues onward into the night. Breathing a sigh of relief, Reboot and the gang suddenly find themselves under an immense hail of gunfire from the stands of the stadium. The bullets destroy their bikes, preventing an easy escape. Suds informs Reboot that the Gunners shouldn't be packing this level of heat, and they need to get out of there fast. Reboot agrees, and pops up smoke and shoots up flares, the momentary distraction allowing the Spurs to flee into former locker rooms. Reboot ambushes Gunners inside, stealing their rifles. Reboot realizes that somebody big must be supplying the Gunners, since these rifles, while old, are military-grade. More Gunners come to search the locker rooms, resulting in a firefight. Reboot and Suds battle their way across the stands, avoid floodlights that have been reactivated by the Gunners. Reboot, coming across better and better weaponry, eventually shoots them out. The Spurs reach the bikes belonging to the Gunners and use them to escape. Reboot and Suds are pursued by Gunner bikers; knowing they can't lead them back to their hideout, they head in the opposite direction, weaving in an out of the streets and slums of Neo-New London. They eventually manage to lose the Gunners by hiding themselves within a group of rioting Monarchist cultists. Reboot and Suds see signs proclaiming that the last King of England will return, destroy the UKRA, and bring salvation to the rest of humanity. Suds laughs at the notion, but suddenly flees with the rest of them when Metro Police tanks begin attacking the crowd. Heading down several side-streets, the two make their way to an underground bar, sighing as they have finally escaped danger. They seat themselves at the bar, asking the bartender for a pint. The bartender asks if they're old enough to drink; after a beat, the three all laugh and the bartender goes to retrieve two glasses. Reboot suddenly notices a young girl in the corner of the bar, looking quite unsure of the situation. A few ruffians approach her, their intentions quite impure. Reboot is about to stand to approach them when suddenly a towering man enters the bar, fists ready. Hours earlier that day, Sergeant Marcus Burns of the UKRA Security Forces Bravo Team plays cards with squadmates Wallcroft and Griffen. An alarm klaxon suddenly sounds, and it's all hands on deck as squad leader Bravo Nine enters the room. He informs them that they have found a base belonging to the revolutionaries known as the Lord Protectors, and they are to destroy it - no questions, no prisoners, standard operating procedure. The squad gets in VTOLs and begins flying from downtown Neo-New London to the decaying outer areas. A radio playing the official UKRA channel proudly broadcasts that the armies of the Pretender are being pushed back during their attempted landings in Wales. Wallcroft tells Burns to change to the official military channel, none of that propaganda. The military channel broadcasts more somber news, that casualties are high as the armies of a man proclaiming himself to be William V have established themselves on the beaches of Wales. The aerial fleet flies over Wembley Stadium; soon after they pass, Burns notices a firefight breaks out. Griffen explains that he's heard rumors that the UKRA has been supplying local youth gangs with weapons; Burns says that wouldn't surprise him. Bravo Nine tells them to quiet down, as they are approaching the base. The base is a crumbling apartment block. The VTOLs hover above the buildings; Nine gives the go-ahead, ropes are dropped from the VTOLs, and the team begins sliding down. Burns is third in line; he's fortunate, as when the first man in line rappels into the window, he activates a tripwire, killing him and the second man. Burns makes it inside the room, where he quickly shoots two Lord Protectors. The room is secured as more men rappel in. Weapons hot, Nine declares as Bravo Team makes their way into the rest of the bloc. The alarm raised, the Lord Protectors return fire and a battle breaks loose. After destroying a machine gun emplacement, the team continues on, but they suddenly receive an order, from none other than General Roger Baseplate himself. He tells the team to hold their positions as the mission has been given a higher priority, and will now be under the jurisidiction of the Special Authority Services (SAS), the elite team reporting directly to Baseplate. Furthermore, any collateral damage should be minimized. Wallcroft protests, but Nine confirms the order and tells the team to hold their ground. Big Bird, the pilot of the VTOL, reports that the Lord Protectors are attempting to flee. Nine tells the rest of the team to form a perimeter around the building and prevent anyone from escaping. Suddenly, Lord Protectors arrive with RPGs, intent of leaving behind a pile of ashes as they evacuate. Bravo Team kills several, but a few get shots off, and suddenly the floor below Bravo Team collapses. Niner grabs Wallcroft, but Griffen is too slow to grab Burns and he falls into a crumbling hole. He quickly rolls out of the way as concrete slabs follow him. Wallcroft contacts Burns, explaining the hole has been blocked and he needs to find his own exit out. Burns carefully traverses the underground tunnels the bloc, occasionaly dispatching enemies. His radio chatter becomes spotty underground, but he does pick up mentions of the SAS arriving, orders for all Bravo Team members to stand down, and that there have been no confirmed sightings of the target fleeing the complex. Burns sees a staircase to exit, but suddenly notices a door swing in a kitchen to his left. He breaches the door, but is attacked by a Lord Protector. After a fist-fight, he stabs the man through the neck, killing him. Burns suddenly receives a frying pan to the face; after a momentary black out, he sees a young girl preparing to attack him again. Burns has a momentary flashback of his own daughter, standing proudly in their living room, the day before the First Crisis began. In the present, Burns disarms the girl, but is unable to kill her. When she sees he has no killing intent, she reluctantly stands down too. Burns suddenly sees the number III tattooed on her arm, and the fact that beneath cloaks given to her by Lord Protectors, she's wearing a hospital gown. Recognizing the tropes of cyberpunk, Burns deduces that the girl is the "target" hunted by the SAS, and has presumably escaped from the UKRA, which is why Bravo Team was told to stand down and the SAS took over the whole operation. Burns sighs, and asks if the girl can understand him. She nods yes, but suddenly, they hear shouting voices coming down the staircase. Burns quickly points to a ventilation shaft and tells her to escape through the tunnels below, and meet him at Cockfosters (yes that's a real place) Pub as soon as possible. She nods and escapes just before the SAS arrive. In a montage, Burns is held at gunpoint by the SAS, interrogated thoroughly, and even questioned by Baseplate himself. Burns seemingly manages to convince them of his innocence, stating he has no knowledge of the SAS having a target, let alone who that target could be. After much debate, the SAS lets Burns free. As the men leave to return to their barracks, Burns gets his truck, hoping to leave unseen, but he is spotted by Wallcroft. Burns tells him he needs to go get a drink; Wallcroft asks to tag along, but Burns explains it's one of those nights where he needs to be alone. Wallcroft nods, and asks Burns if he saw the target down there, truly. Burns starts the truck and tells Wallcroft he'll know the truth one day before heading out. Burns arrives at Cockfosters, and enters the pub. He looks around and finds the girl being approached by ruffians. In a quick brawl, Burns defeats them all, and tells the girl to come with him. She seems a little reluctant at first, causing Burns to laugh in incredulity and turn around, enabling a ruffian to quickly stand and raise a knife behind Burns' neck. Burns suddenly sees blood splatter on his back and turns around; the knife is now through the ruffian's throat. As he falls, rising behind him is the girl. The two leave the car, but not before the girl notices two youths sitting at the bar, one of them watching her leave slack-jawed. Reboot and Suds drive back home later that night. Reboot swears he saw the girl uses telekenesis to move the knife from the ruffian's hand into his throat. Suds laughs at the notion in disbelief, asking how psychic powers could be possible. Reboot explains they live in a world that's seen dimensional travel, time travel, assimilation plots, and the literal Judgement Day. Reboot throws on the latest release by the Musicians Hideout as they drive down the highway. Far off, below the UKRA Spire, a voice belonging to Baseplate asks Carlos Avagadro how psychics could be possible. The two descend down an escalator in a massive secret underground base. Avagadro explains that while he worked in the United States, he learned humanity had not yet reached its true potential. Its current flesh constrains the powers of the mind, but thanks to recent research, that barrier is being overcome. As they pass by incineration furnaces, Avagadro explains the research does not work on everyone. Only the strong-willed may survive it. Baseplate asks if the girl was strong-willed; Avagadro nods, explaining the misery Earth has faced in the past few years has bred many strong people. As they enter a lab, Avagadro explains there are ways to replicate the strong-willed... In a rundown building in the outskirts of Neo-New London, Mac smokes a cigarettes as a convoy arrives. He sighs as he sees how bloody and beat-up his fellow Lord Protectors are. Rem Arem helps the outfit leader, the wounded Newcastle, out of his truck. Newcastle explains someone informed the UKRA Security Forces of their location, and they lost the girl. Mac asks if the UKRA secured her, but Newcastle says her whereabouts are currently unknown. Suddenly, VTOLs and military trucks arrive. Newcastle realizes their currently location has been tipped off as well. As SAS troops pour into the scene, Arem suddenly backs away with a smug smile. Mac asks Arem if he's the traitor; Arem explains service to the new order is no betrayal at all. Mac attempts to shoot Arem, but smoke grenades are popped all around them as SAS forces begin firing. Mac helps Newcastle back to the building, where they raise the alarm and order everyone to evacuate. The SAS is even more merciless than their UKRA Security Forces counterparts, and execute everyone they come across. Mac and Newcastle grab their weapons in the armory and realize that everyone else has died. Over loudspeakers, Arem tells the two to stand down; give up the information they have on the girl, and they'll receive a merciless death. The two agree there's not a chance in hell of that happening, and continue on their evacuation route: a secret corridor to a derilect Underground station right below their building. As they arrive at the subway, Mac activates the self-destruction installed by the Lord Protectors in the building, bringing it down as they flee in the subway. Safe for the night, Mac curses Arem, while Newcastle explains they'll have to seek refuge at the main Lord Protectors headquarters. Burns drives the girl to a motel where she can hole up for the time being. The girl finally speaks, explaining her name was Sarah Davis. Burns asks if she can remember anything; she explains she can only remember flashes of a Family Vacation in London, before the First Crisis. Burns says he had a daughter of his own that died in that conflict; the two are silent for the rest of the drive. There's no questions asked in these parts of Neo-New London, so Burns rents her a room for the forseeable future. He gives her money for food, and explains he has to return to work and won't be back for a few days. He asks her to stay safe and try to remember more. She nods and thanks him. The next day, Reboot and Suds attend an underground boxing matches, which go to the death. Suddenly, there's gunfire, and the stands come under attack. Reboot and Suds attempt to flee, only to realize that the Gunners are responsible for the attack. As they fight, they realize that the Gunners are specifically after them. Reboot and Suds get separated as more Gunners arrive. Reboot is forced to head to the roof, where a helicopter suddenly arrives. A Gunner jumps out; he identifies himself as their leader, named Gunney. Reboot asks what the hell kind of name is Gunney, and how did he pass selection for leader? Gunney tells him names aren't important, only money is, and the money the UKRA is offering the Gunners for their capture will make him the king of Neo-New London. Reboot asks why he's worth so much to the UKRA. Gunney explains he didn't ask, he shouldn't ask anyway, and more importantly, he didn't care to ask. Gunney pulls out a stun-gun and tells Reboot to stand still so it won't hurt as much; Reboot cracks a smile and says he doesn't have to worry about keeping Gunney alive. Gunney cracks a smile, sets his stun-gun to kill mode, and says he doesn't either. The two duel across the rooftop of the arena, both getting good shots in, ending with a fist fight where Gunney defeats Reboot. Someone radios Gunney, explaining they've captured Suds. Reboot uses the distraction to free himself from Gunney. He escapes using a fire escape, falling down the last flight of stairs. Injured, Reboot sees the Gunners place an unconscious Suds onto a bike and drive off. Reboot gets on his own bike and follows the Gunners. Gunney's helicopter beings firing on Reboot, forcing him to avoid it as well. The Gunners head across a bridge, but the helicopter destroys it after they cross, forcing Reboot to slide into a halt, throwing him off his bike. Fading in and out of consciousness, Reboot manages to drag himself in an abandoned Underground station for collapsing. After a temporary stop, Mac and Newcastle continue their journey in the train. As they come by a station, Mac sees the collapsed Reboot and tells Newcastle to stop. Newcastle reluctantly agrees, and Mac brings Newcastle to the boy. Mac explains he wanted to stop because the kid looked familiar; when they get closer, they are shocked to see that he is the spitting image of their old commander, Captain Price. They bring him on the train and Mac gives him medical attention as Newcastle restarts the train. The next morning, atop the UKRA Spire, Baseplate meets with Rhodes. As the two stair down into the clouds below them, Baseplate explains while they were unable to reclaim the Third Child, the Second Child is currently in their possession, which will be enough to at least get Individualism restarted. Rhodes brushes him off, explaining that as long as the profits margins remain good, he's happy with whatever Baseplate and Avogadro produce for him. In a makeshift Lord Protector base, Reboot awakens. Mac and Newcastle interrogate him, asking him why he looks exactly like their old comrade. Reboot shrugs and said he's heard that a Captain Price was his dad; Mac says Price was unmarried, but Reboot says that doesn't stop people from having kids, or leaving them to the streets. Newcastle answers that Price was a good man and wouldn't do that, so there must be some other explanation. Reboot attempts to leave, claiming he needs to rescue his best friend, but Mac and Newcastle stop him. While grabbing his wrist, Mac notices Reboot has a tattooed I; recognizing his cyberpunk tropes, Mac asks if Reboot was some sort of UKRA medical experiment. Reboot pulls his hand away and explains he's a biker gang leader, nothing more, and that as the leader, he needs to rescue his comrade. Burns returns to the motel, where Sarah Davis fortunately remains, unharmed. While Burns cooks dinner, Sarah explains that she remembers that following her kidnapping during the First Crisis, she was transfered to a facility in America, where she met two other children. Following victory over the Deep State, she and the other two were transfered to a facility deep underground in London. In the chaos of Armaggedon, the two children were set free into the streets of London, their memories erased, while she remained. And the experimentation on her only continued to grow as the UKRA took power. While she was being transfered to a different facility, the Lord Protectors rescued her, and now here they are. Now freed, and his powers unfolding, Suds begins his march across Neo-New London towards Pindar. Using his abilities to asborb, he manages to incorporate a wide range of weaponry, all the way up to tank missiles, into his arsenal. Finding a torn Union Jack, he drapes it across his back as a cape. To the Monarchists that refused to work with the Lord Protector, Suds is a savior, King Arthur Reborn, and they fight with him as well. Though not intentionally, Suds is taking a stand against the UKRA, against society, as he tears his way through the city. With his own artillery barrage, Suds breaks into Pindar. Fighting his way through the lower levels, Suds is unstoppable. Over the intercom, Avogadro tells him not to come any further, and the abuse of his powers will lead to ruin. Suds ignores him, and out of options, Avogadro attempts to flood Pindar with cement, but Suds' absorbion ability is revealed to work on things besides weapons. At last, Suds arrives at the grand vault at the bottom of Pindar. Before him stands Avogadro. The scientist warns Suds he is going down a path that will lead to ruin; Suds, with his conjured weapons, holds Avogadro at gunspoint and demands to know answers. Avogadro sighs and explains Suds might not like what he wants. Avogadro opens the Vault; the two step inside, and Suds sees a man nailed to a cross. Avogadro explains that this is Adam, the first human created by Yahweh. Adam, at the first man, was unintentionally gifted with immortality. As humans spread across Earth's surface, Adam attempted to retire into obscurity, but the war between the Angels and Demons forced him back into action. As a general under Nebuchadnezzar, Adam fought in the Battle of Babel, where the Demons were decisively defeated. After attending Yahweh's funeral, Adam believed humanity would be safe for the future, and went into a long hibernation. Thousands of years later, he was discovered by the Deep State while exploring the tunnels in the Hollow Earth. The Deep State captured him, woke him up, and experimented upon him. While they were unable to find the source of his immortality, they discovered that his rib, from which Eve was created, had regrown. Mengele created clones of himself by using his own ribs; with the regenerative rib of Adam, clones of others could be created. Empty husks at first, but successful implmentation of chemical reactions and equations would result in the creation of copies of a chosen target. DNA from the strongest soldiers were taken, and from them, clones were made. From the background, dozens of men identical to Suds appear, all brandishing weapons. Avogadro explains that they were going to build an army, but they were too slow to produce one before Ascension began. With the Deep State broken and defeated, they fled to the underground of London, and have finally returned to power through the UKRA. And down here, they have been building their army of God's perfect soldiers. Suds was not the son, but the clone of John "Soap" MacTavish. Unlike the men before him, Suds was a child clone; clones usually appear at the exact age of their base person, but Suds was born as a child, to see how the consciousness developed in a child clone produced with a rib of Adam. Suds asks if this means Reboot is a clone as well; Avogadro nods in confirmation. Suds looks at his hands and questions his own existence. Avogadro explains that new clones are husks, and tortured into becoming replicas of their base person, but as child clones, Reboot and Suds' consciousnesses developed naturally. And they proved to be too unreliable, too independent, too fiery and unable to easy control, just as the men they were cloned from. But, as child clones from ribs of Adam, Avogadro discovered that they were developing psychic powers, something the adult exact replica clones could not produce. Reboot could produce killstreaks; Suds could absorb weaponry; and the Third Child, Sarah Davis, possessed telekinesis. There were great plans for their future, but the chaos of warfare prevented any action. Eventually, during the Infinity Crisis, a worker took pity on Reboot and Suds, and after a routine memory erasal, allowed them to escape when the Solar Council liberated London. So, Avogadro concludes, that's the truth. Suds is a clone produced from Adam, and now that his absorption powers can work on more than weaponry, Avogadro states that perhaps he can achieve Individualism. Suds demands an explanation for that. Avogadro states he is tired of exposition, but very well. After the failure of Assimilation, one universe shared by humanity, the Deep State went in the opposite direction: Individualism, individual universes where every person is God over their own realm. If humanity as a whole could not be made into God, then perhaps each human could be made God over their own universe. Avogadro hoped their psychic abilities could be the key to Individualism, but there was never enough time to complete the research. Suds takes it all in. Throughout all his life, he has felt alone, abandoned, unsure of his own existence. It turns out he's just a lab rat, an experiment, just a pawn in the plans of crazed men...but now, he had his chance to play God. He can be in charge, throw around humanity rather than get thrown around. Suds holds out his hand and asborbs the clones behind Adam. Avogadro's jaw opens as biomechanical arrays connect Suds to the clones, and they are absorbed. The biomech wires run across their bodies, and Suds smiles as he feels them become part of him. The wires spread across the room, and Avogadro realizes Suds is absorbing the entire facility into himself. Avogadro tells him to stop, as there will be eventually nothing but Suds in this universe. Suds explains that that's the point; he is all and all will be him. Rather than making a new universe, Suds will implement Individualism by becoming everything in this one. Avogadro attempts to pull out his gun, but Suds asborbs that. The wires wrap across Avogadro's body, and the mass of biomechanicalism overtakes the scientist. Suds then turns toward Adam. Missions # The Rumble (Reboot) - Defeat the Gunners at the Rumble. # No Questions, No Prisoners (Burns) - Capture the Lord Protector base. # The Lord Protectors (Mac) - Escape the SAS. # The Match (Reboot) - Escape the Gunner ambush. # (Mac/Reboot) - Form an alliance with the Monarchists. # (Burns) - Rescue the Second Child. # (Suds) - Find Adam. # (Reboot) - Seek out the Third Child. # (Mac) - Link up with the Pretender. # (Burns) - Escape in the chaos. # (Suds) - Accept all into your universe. # (Reboot) - Defeat the Gunners. # (Burns) - Defeat the SAS. # (Mac) - Defeat the UKRA. # (Reboot) - Defeat Suds. Multiplayer Factions UKRA Security Forces Special Authority Services Links